Kelvin Hughes, a world leader in the design and supply of coastal surveillance
and VTS radar and navigation and surveillance systems, is delighted
to announce that it has been contracted by VisSim, a leading VTMS system
provider and integrator, to supply a total of 11 SharpEye™ radar
sets for the protection of offshore facilities in Azerbaijan.

As part
of VisSim’s Marine Asset Protection and Surveillance System, Kelvin
Hughes will be providing 10 SBS-800-1 (3.7m antenna) systems for offshore
production platforms in the Caspian Sea, typically two radars per platform,
and one SBS-800-2 (5.5m antenna) that will be installed onshore. Using
a fibre optic connection being developed by Kelvin Hughes, the offshore
SharpEye™ transceivers will be able to transmit more data at higher
speeds, ensuring improved picture quality at the radar display. In addition,
this technology will deliver greater reliability with lower installation
costs at the same time as improving offshore safety by reducing the
number of electrical connections.

Offshore oil fields in Azerbaijan
(Photo: Bruno Girin/Wikipedia)

The onshore
SBS-800-2 system will comprise an upmast X-Band SharpEye™ radar
transceiver with a low profile antenna – the adoption of an upmast
solution highlighting the high reliability and maintenance-free characteristics
of SharpEye™.

Full installation of the radars, following a planned programme of testing,
is scheduled for August 2014.

Spike Hughes, Kelvin Hughes’ Sales and Marketing Director, commented:
“We’re confident that SharpEye™ will deliver everything
VisSim needs to protect the Azerbaijan offshore facilities they have been
contracted to supply. Representing a significant advance on current marine
radar technology with its ability to separate targets from clutter, Sharpeye™
provides greatly improved situational awareness even in adverse weather
conditions.”